In Your Heart
by Kellbell930
Summary: Auror trainee Ginny Weasley is excited about her undercover mission until she finds out she'll be living with Draco Malfoy as his girlfriend. How long can Ginny lie to her family, her friends, and herself about her life and her growing feelings for Draco?
1. Chapter 1: Lost Memories

Chapter One: Lost Memories

Tears were streaming down Ginny Weasley's dirt-smudged face as sobs wracked her body. Leaning over the figure on the ground, Ginny yelled frantically, "Harry! Harry! _Harry_!" as if screaming his name would bring him back to her. She shook him slightly in desperation, and then collapsed into a ball next to him, rocking back and forth.

She was so consumed in her own grief that she didn't hear the soft fall of footsteps approaching. Startled out of her trance by the malicious snickering behind her, Ginny froze.

"Well, well, well, mourning over the loss of Harry Potter. I must say I don't find anything tragic about it at all, really," the cold voice sneered.

Ginny's first thought was that Voldemort was speaking to her, but it couldn't be him. She had seen Harry take him down just seconds before his own death. Standing shakily on her feet, she turned around to face the man standing a few feet away.

He looked over her with a smirk and she saw him register her unruly, fiery red hair and prominent freckles on her deathly pale skin.

"No one will miss him. He was useless and pathetic, and look where it got him," he jeered at her as he casually waved his hand towards Harry's body.

Instinctively, she reached for her wand in her robe pocket and realized with a jolt that it wasn't there. Frantically searching her robes, she stopped when she remembered dropping it in shock when Harry had been killed. The tree she had been hiding behind was too far away. She would never reach it in time.

Ginny looked up into the face of the man standing before her. She didn't recognize him at first glance. She knew he was definitely a Death Eater though. She could tell by the stench and state of his clothing, the hard look in his eyes, and the jeering tone.

"No wand? What a shame. I was looking forward to seeing your pathetic attempts at fighting me. No matter, I shall enjoy killing you all the same. My master died on this battlefield and I will make sure you pathetic blood traitors pay for it," he spat at her, rage and anger etched into his mud-splattered face.

Slowly and tauntingly he pulled his wand out of his pocket and focused it on her chest.

"Take a good look around you. This is the world you'll be leaving behind." He gestured at the blood-streaked landscape behind him. Bodies lay everywhere.

Ginny could hear moans and cries of pain in the distance. But what unnerved her the most was that she and the Death Eater seemed to be alone. _Where is everyone? s_he thought desperately. Although she knew there must be plenty of casualties, surely she wasn't the only survivor.

Eyes darting back and forth, Ginny looked for anything that she could use to distract the Death Eater in order to try and run for it. Her search yielded nothing. Slowly, she looked up into the Death Eaters cold, pale eyes.

He seemed amused by her anxious searching. "Nothing to help you here, nothing at all. No, I'm afraid you're all alone," he mocked her. "All of your little friends have died, and have died for nothing. You fools don't realize that while you may have managed to kill the Dark Lord, there are plenty willing and able to take his place. You fight a fruitless battle. Dark will always prosper, no matter how you try to stop it prevailing."

Obviously expecting her to cower in fear over his chilling monologue, the Death Eater smiled threateningly at her. "Say goodbye to the light, my dear, and say hello to the dark." He lifted his wand and pointed straight at her heart.

She closed her eyes and waited for death to come.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

A flash of green streaked out and hit its target square on the chest, as its victim fell in a crumpled heap to the ground.

Ginny looked around, rooted to the spot, daring not to breathe. Looking at the heap on the ground a few feet in front of her, it took her a few seconds to realise someone else had cast the curse. It had come from a hooded figure in the shadows a few feet away.

Panting heavily, she looked up into the stranger's eyes, the only part of his face visible. She thought something about those eyes looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen them before. Holding her glance for a brief second, the masked figure turned on his heels and stalked away.

Shivering from, cold, lack of food, exhaustion and grief, Ginny sat on the ground to keep from fainting. For what seemed like hours before someone found her, she kept from going mad with sorrow by wondering about the masked stranger who had saved her life.

A year later, Ginny sat in her mum's kitchen in the Burrow sipping steaming French vanilla coffee while her mother scolded her.

"Honestly, Gin, I don't know why you won't go and at least apply. You got top grades in almost all of your NEWTS. You are plenty qualified," Mrs. Weasley rambled. "It'll be good for you to get out of the house and do something. Not that your father and I mind you being here."

She paused in her breakfast preparations and came over to give Ginny a hug. "But you're eighteen, and a beautiful girl with your whole life ahead of you." She ran her hand over Ginny's long French braid. "We want you to have a career and be happy."

"I'll think about it Mum," Ginny replied sleepily. "It's just been hard for me since, well, you know." Silence greeted the end of this sentence. Mrs. Weasley made an attempt at a comforting smile before returning to her morning tasks. Snapping back into reality, Ginny informed her mother of her plans that day.

"Hermione and I are going to head into London for the day. Do some shopping. Eat a lot of food and all that stuff. She says I need to buy things. Honestly, how could walking around in the hot sun all day, carrying loads of heavy bags and spending tons of money on things I'll probably never use be fun?"

Her mum looked relieved to see that Ginny was smiling. "I'm glad you're getting out and about dear."

"Mum, you act like I hole myself up in this house all day, sleep all the time and never see another living soul," she responded sarcastically.

While it was true that after the war Ginny had in fact refused to come out of her room and talk to anyone, she had long since abandoned that approach to forget the past and now tried to go about things as usual.

Still, she didn't go out as much as she used to and every now and again she would stay in her room for a few hours and cry, probably causing her mother to over worry about her as she was doing now.

She wasn't the only one who was still slightly depressed. Her older brother Charlie had died during an early battle and by the end of the war many close friends had been viciously murdered. Many Order members - Professor McGonagall, Sturgis Podmore, Mad-Eye, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher and Hestia Jones - had all met an end in the final attempt at destroying Voldemort.

Although it had been a year, Ginny still found herself daydreaming about the pure emerald green colour of Harry's eyes, his unruly black hair that never sat right, and the way the muscles of his chest felt through his cotton robes as his arms held her tight.

She sighed. There was no use reminiscing, she told herself sternly. Taking the last gulp of her now cold coffee, Ginny bounded up the rickety steps two at a time and went into her room. She still had the same twin bed she had when she was eight and her nightstand was still that midnight blue she painted it after her second year at Hogwarts.

Hogwarts, she thought to herself, oh how she missed it. How the Gryffindor common room always smelled like burnt paper because Fred and George were always setting things off. How the decorations during Christmas and Halloween were always so beautiful, even those ugly hangings on the four-poster beds in the dormitories. The way she and Harry would cuddle up in front of the fire and tell each other funny stories from their childhoods. The way Harry used to always tilt his head a little to the left when he was thinking and how he used to point at things he thought were funny.

Ginny felt tears well up in her eyes and stopped her train of thought. She needed to move on. She thought about what her mum had told her earlier about working at the Ministry and resolved to consider it.

She glided over to her tiny closet and perused her options of what to wear. They would be in Muggle London today, so she donned a pair of dark denims and a fitted black t-shirt that read _Gryffindor Babe_ in maroon. She bent over and picked up her shoes when she heard the Intruder Alarm go off.

Downstairs, she could hear her mum as she practically yelled, "Hermione! How perfectly wonderful it is to see you again, my dear!"

Hermione's voice was softer, but still audible. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley, good to see you too. Is Ginny all ready to go yet?"

"Who knows? That girl takes forever to get ready."

Ginny smiled. It was true it did take her a long time in the morning to get ready but that wasn't because she wore excessive amounts of make-up that took forever to apply or could never pick anything to wear. She just always caught herself daydreaming or staring off into space, causing her to forget what she was about to do and lose time. She quickly grabbed her purse and hopped down the stairs.

She found her mum and Hermione chatting amiably. They both looked up and smiled when she entered the room. Ginny halted in the doorway, unsure why they were looking at her so strangely.

Hermione was the first to recover. "Hey Gin! You look great!" she said enthusiastically.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. She wasn't wearing anything fancy. "Uh-huh, well, we should get going, loads to buy and all." She smiled mischievously as Hermione giggled, gave Mrs. Weasley a quick hug and walked out the door.

Her friend still looked like the same Hermione from school. She had the same bushy brown hair, only today it was up in a messy bun, and the same plain features. Of course she still always had her nose stuck in a book and was constantly rattling off random facts about magic. Most importantly, Hermione was still Ginny's best friend, and she still fancied Ron.

After leaving Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione were too busy helping Harry find and destroy the Horcruxes for anything romantic to develop and after the war both were too emotionally drained from the death of their best friend to start a relationship.

Now however, Ginny idly wondered how she could try to get them together. There was no doubt that Ron still fancied Hermione too and they still bickered over everything, which was all the proof Ginny needed.

Before she knew it, they had reached the heart of Muggle London. She and Hermione had been wandering around the shops all day, trying on ridiculous outfits and laughing over how funny each of them looked. Ginny had just finished buying a pair of dangling earrings and a cute black mini skirt when Hermione suggested they stop for lunch.

As they were discussing the newest gossip, Hermione carefully slipped in that she had asked a couple of friends to meet up with them. After Hermione refused to say who, Ginny became slightly hesitant. She didn't like surprises and there were definitely a few people who she was not up to meeting at the moment.

However, Ginny caved when curiosity got the better of her. Inside the restaurant, she waited while Hermione scanned the crowd of lunch goers, looking for the friends they were supposed to meet. Following Hermione to a back table, Ginny spotted Dean Thomas and Ron lounging in a booth.

Dean was an old boyfriend from Hogwarts, and Hermione was obviously hoping that seeing him would set off an old spark. _Well that explains the funny looks from mum earlier_, she thought to herself, realising that Hermione had probably told Mrs. Weasley about meeting Dean. Sighing and sliding in next to Hermione, she amiably greeted Dean and her brother. They settled down into a quiet chat and hungrily ate when the food arrived.

Halfway through the meal, Ginny heard the bell on the door jingle. Glancing up at the noise she spotted Draco Malfoy entering with Blaise Zabini. The platinum-haired Slytherin looked even more handsome and self-assured than she remembered from school. She subconsciously noted his muscular body and perfectly groomed hair and immediately stopped the train of thought. Thinking about it only made her glare at him more fiercely as he headed towards them.

He had changed sides before the end of the war, giving the Ministry valuable information concerning the Death Eaters, and the Wizarding community had forgiven him. Ginny never did. He had never missed a chance to taunt her or her family and had done his best to make Harry's life as miserable as possible.

Ginny was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she was startled when the men passed by their table and Zabini said, "Fine restaurant you chose, Malfoy. Filled with Weasels and Mudbloods."

Ron rose from his seat and snapped, "We have just as much right to eat here as you!"

Dean started to rise too. "If you don't like the clientele, leave, Zabini."

Arrogant dark features tightened. "Why don't you leave, Thomas, and take your filthy friends with you?"

People had stopped eating to watch the scene unfold.

Malfoy said coolly, "Don't let them ruin our lunch, Blaise. We'll talk business on the other side of the room."

Ginny stared. What was this? Malfoy passing up on a perfect chance to taunt them? Maybe he was protecting his new image as a changed man. She didn't buy it.

Zabini noticed her and sneered. "Finally came out of mourning for the late, unlamented Harry Potter, I see."

Ginny's whole body froze over when she heard Harry's name spit out like he was nothing. Narrowing her eyes, she told both men fiercely, "He was a hundred times a better man than either of you will ever be!"

Malfoy put his hand on his friend's arm and pulled him away. "They're not worth hexing. Let's find another restaurant."

Zabini curled his lip at them before following his friend toward the door.

When the men left and the other diners had gone back to their conversations, Ginny sat shaking with anger while Hermione told Ron, "I'm proud of you for keeping your temper."

Dean said, "I expected you to beat them both to a pulp."

Ron looked embarrassed but pleased with their praise. "I would have...if we'd been in an alley where I could get away with it."

Dean laughed. Hermione shook her head and smiled. Ginny stood up. "I have to go."

She grabbed her bag and headed out of the restaurant before she started screaming or

crying uncontrollably. Instead of walking the short distance to a public Floo, she Apparated right into her bedroom at the Burrow.

Ginny jumped onto her bed without even taking off her shoes, vowing she would go to the Ministry the next day and finally apply for a position as an Auror. She wasn't going to sit back and do nothing anymore.

As darkness fell, she cried herself into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Revelations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of these characters, that honour goes completely to JKR.

**A/N:** Hey guys! Hope you like the second chapter. Kudos to my beta Kate! R&R!

Chapter Two: Revelations

Ginny mentally gave herself a boost of confidence as she walked past the picket fence surrounding her home. She had been terribly nervous all morning, putting her work robes on backwards and spilling her coffee twice, causing her to have to go and change. She stopped and double-checked that her hair was still in a tight bun and smoothed her robes. Taking a deep breath, she turned on the spot and Apparated into the Ministry of Magic foyer.

She glanced around quickly before setting off at a brisk walk down the hall. It was early morning and Ginny noticed other witches and wizards greeting each other and others Apparating and Disapparating at random intervals. She squeezed into the lift next to a particularly short man carrying a stack of papers that towered over his head, making her wonder how he could see.

She waited patiently while the lift ascended and stepped out into the cluttered hallway when she heard the cool voice in the lift say, _Auror Headquarters_. She noted the two dozen or so cubicles all lined with maps, pictures and newspaper articles as she headed down the hall. She stopped at a big brass door with a plaque that read _Kingsley Shacklebolt, Head Auror_. She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Enter," came a cool voice from within. She pushed open the heavy door and saw Kingsley sitting on a big leather chair at a very messy desk. "Ah, Miss Weasley, to what do I owe this surprise?" he said as he gestured to an empty chair in front of his desk.

Ginny smiled as she crossed the room and sat down. She remembered him from his days in the Order. He had always been very nice to her even when the other adults had deemed her only an annoying child. She admired his bravery during the final fight and respected him greatly.

"Mr. Shacklebolt," she began, "I have come today to apply for a job as an Auror."

_Did you have to sound like such an idiot?_ She scolded herself.

"Please call me Kingsley," he said politely, "Do you have a C.V. with you, Miss Weasley?"

She reached into her bag, pulled out her C.V. and handed it over to his outstretched hand. She sat with her hands folded in her lap, while he scanned the contents.

"Well, I see here that you received an 'Outstanding' in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense Against The Dark Arts, and an 'Exceeds Expectations' in Herbology and Potions."

She smiled briefly when he mentioned her Potions grade. No way could she ever have scraped an 'Outstanding' with all those years with Snape as a teacher.

"The rest of your resume is also impressive and I do believe you possess the kind of

characteristics generally looked for in an Auror; determination, ability to think quickly, extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts. However, I must warn you that becoming an Auror in itself is grueling work and you will be required to undergo extensive training."

"I understand sir," she replied determinedly.

He smiled, "Well than Miss Weasley, if you really feel this is what you would like to do, your training will begin on Wednesday morning. Report here at eight a.m. sharp and one of my colleagues will begin with you on your training."

They both stood up and shook hands. Walking her to the door he said with a smile "See you on Wednesday, Miss Weasley." As she left she couldn't help but note his triumphant smile, and began wondering what she had got herself into.

However, she ignored it for the time being and gleefully strolled down the hall. Somehow she knew that Kingsley would give her the job. After all, he had seen her in action during the final battle and knew she was more than competent to handle the work.

She ambled into the lift, ignoring the complaints of an older looking wizard as she trod on his feet.

Walking the short distance to the foyer, she Apparated home and felt the best she had in a long time.

Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini strolled down the streets of London whilst Blaise mouthed off every insult he could about the Weasels and Miss-Know-It-All, obviously still upset Draco had dragged him off before he could get in a few more insults. Draco sighed impatiently and ignored him. Turning a corner of the street and walking down an old deserted alley, Draco turned to Blaise.

"Right Blaise, as much as I'd love to stand here and listen to your wonderful insults about Wondergirl and the Redheads, I've got to go."

Blaise snorted. "Wondergirl? It would be a wonder if that Mudblood didn't ever have her nose permanently attached to a book."

Draco rolled his eyes and Apparated back to his Manor with a swish of his robes without even saying goodbye. Strolling up the drive, he idly remembered the youngest Weasley's looks. They had changed since he had last seen her. He noted her fiery red hair, and soft features that had matured over the years. _Not bad looking for a Weasley, _he admitted privately, then instantly waved away the thought the minute it entered his mind. She was a Weasley after all.

It was almost dark when he reached the huge oak doors with the Malfoy crest on them and pulled them open. Shutting the door loudly behind him he purposefully began walking to his bedroom. It had been a long and stressful day. Discarding his clothes on the floor for a house elf to clean up later, he pulled on his black silk pajamas over his head. Falling back onto his huge king sized bed Draco fell instantly asleep.

The next morning Draco woke, showered and after finishing an egg and bacon breakfast retired to his study for the afternoon. After a few hours of quiet reading, Draco was annoyed to be interrupted by one of his house elves.

"Master, sir has a visitor." Hesitating for a second, he scowled and stood up, curiosity getting the better of him. She directed him to the formal parlor and he was shocked to see Kingsley Shacklebolt reclining on a plush armchair drinking tea from his fine china.

Setting down his cup, Kingsley stood up and walked over to where Draco stood unmoving. Suspicion was etched in every feature of Draco's face. He stuck out his hand and Draco took it, shaking it hastily only once before letting go.

Kingsley got right to the point. "Mr. Malfoy, I have a proposition to make you. It has recently come to light that a new band of Death Eaters is emerging and beginning to cause trouble again. I'm afraid that one of them, their 'Leader', looks poised to take over for You-Know-Who."

Draco smirked at the older wizard's use of Voldemort's nickname. Even after he was gone, witches and wizards still feared to speak his name.

"Yeah, and this concerns me how exactly?" he replied nastily.

"Well, we need an Ex-Death Eater to gain their trust and pass us secret information. Every other Ex-Death Eater we have approached thus far has refused to help."

Draco was about to do just that, seeing the operation for what it was; a death sentence. No Ex-Death Eater in their right mind would go back to their old comrades, knowing they would be brutally tortured or instantly killed for betraying the Dark Lord.

"What makes you think I won't also refuse?" he sneered back, getting ready to tell Kingsley to get out of his house.

"Well, you see Mr. Malfoy," he began a small smile tugging at his mouth. "Recent evidence has been discovered concerning yourself and a very unfortunate matter."

Draco's face fell for an instant before he could regain his mask of indifference. He wasn't sure what 'unfortunate matter' Kingsley might be talking about, but he knew it wasn't good.

Seeing Draco struggle with his emotions, Kingsley continued, "Upon questioning an Ex-Death Eater, he provided sufficient information concerning the fate of a certain Hestia Jones."

Now Draco's guard fell completely. He had managed to evade all questions concerning his Death Eater activities when he had first changed sides and had never been charged with any of his crimes.

Knowing his face betrayed his emotions and there was no point in denying it, Draco spat out, "What do you want?"

Kingsley faced displayed his triumph. He stopped his purposely polite manner and went on, "You will attempt to join this particular band of Death Eaters, gain their trust. After you have done this you will report to the Ministry on a daily basis of their whereabouts and activities."

"Yes, you've already said that, but _how_ am I supposed to accomplish this? Ex-Death Eaters can't just walk into a meeting and say 'Hey guys! Long time no see!'" he replied sarcastically.

"That's why you will offer them something they cannot pass up, information from the Ministry. You will pretend you have a girlfriend who works at the Ministry and that you are able to pass them valuable information. We will control what information you pass on, making sure it satisfies them, while not letting on too much. We must know what this group is planning. We will offer you a full pardon for your actions if you comply."

Draco thought for a moment than sneered at him. "One problem, I currently don't have a girlfriend." He had dumped his old girlfriend Pansy Parkinson months ago and she had gone running straight to Blaise Zabini.

"You don't need to worry about that, we have a girl picked out. She is currently about to begin Auror training. After she completes the first week of training, you and her will move into a flat in London together as part of your cover."

"Oh yeah? And who exactly might this girl be?"

"Ginny Weasley," he replied with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3: New and Old Beginnings

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling and her publishers. This goes for the rest of the story too. Suing me would be silly as, I am completely broke.

**A/N:** Hey guys! Here's chapter 3. Thanks again to my awesome beta Kate who has helped infinitely with this story. Next chapter there will be a lot more action, but for right now, some D/G goodness…and badness….R&R!

Chapter Three: New and Old Beginnings

His mind immediately went into overdrive. _Ginny? Ginny Weasley? He actually expects me to _live_ with that little Weasel?_ Once again the image of her fine features and beautiful curves flashed through his treacherous mind. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't hear Kingsley until he practically yelled his name.

"As I was saying," he went on, giving Draco a hard look, "you will have one week to gather whichever possessions you plan on taking with you to the flat. You are both expected to be moved in by next Wednesday. The flat is located at number Three South Street. Although the flat is in Muggle London, Ministry officials have placed special charms over it, allowing you to perform magic inside the house without worrying about being seen. Wards have also been placed to ensure your safety."

Draco thought for a minute. _Wards?_ He didn't think at first that what he was doing would be dangerous. In his mind it was just his father's old comrades. Then reality caught up with him. Of course it would be dangerous, and it would be bloody hard to get them to give him information too.

"Right, well if that's all then?"

Sticking out his hand once more for Draco to shake, Kingsley walked briskly to the door.

"I expect your first report two weeks after you have settled in, Mr. Malfoy, no excuses. Good day."

After Kingsley had departed Draco slumped into the plush black chair. He was running his fingers through his hair and wondering idly how the day could get any worse, when one of his house elves came barreling through the door to tell him that his ham dinner had been transfigured back into a pig and was currently trampling through his ballroom and eating the tapestries

Sighing briefly Draco stood up and went to make the best out of a bad situation.

"No, Miss Weasley, you must listen closely, it's _Tempero Sensus,_ not _Tempero Senses._"

The Auror, Tomlin, who was in charge of her training sighed as she tried once again to get the spell for controlling an enemy's emotions right. She hadn't been doing badly at all up until this point. When training had started last Wednesday she had been perfectly able to perform all of the spells, hexes, and jinxes, her trainer had taught her. _Maybe it's something about Mondays_. She was due to complete her first week of Auror training in two days and wanted to make sure she made a good impression.

She was about to utter the incantation once more when they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"This is a confidential training session! No one is permitted to enter until the session is over!" Tomlin yelled impatiently. The door swung open and Kingsley stepped in. Her trainer, looking thoroughly abashed, apologized profusely to his boss.

"That's quite alright Tomlin, I just needed to speak with Miss Weasley for a moment if you don't mind." Gesturing that she should precede him, they made their way down the hall to his office.

"Now, Miss Weasley, I understand that you will be completing your first week of training in two days? How are things going so far?" he said as they sat down on either side of his desk.

Ginny managed a faint "good", not sure of what to make of the situation. Earlier that week she had managed to burn a large hole in the wall accidentally, whilst trying to procure a jet of fire designed to halt an enemy's attack. Was he going to reprimand her for it? She was about to open her mouth to apologize when he began.

"Tomlin has confided to me that you are very well advanced for your age and is very impressed with the skills you have displayed thus far."

Ginny looked down, feeling a faint blush creeping up her cheeks at his praise. He continued,

"I have therefore decided to pull you from training and give you an opportunity to serve. It is an important assignment and we need a young woman capable of handling herself to help. Are you willing?"

She looked up excitedly, eager for a chance to do some real work.

"Yes!" she yelled. Then gaining control of herself, she said in a much more professional voice, "Yes of course, I would love to help in any way possible. What does this assignment require?"

He looked amused at her sudden outburst but continued anyway. "You will move into a London flat to gain crucial information about a band of Death Eaters. However, only your partner will interact directly with the Death Eaters, while you help him with other tasks. You've only begun training and we don't want you to get hurt."

She felt slightly put out by being relegated to an assistant and was about to ask why she couldn't help in the field, when she registered the use of the word 'him'. Looking up into Kingsley's face she asked, "Him? Who's 'him'?"

"Me."

She jerked her head in the direction of the noise and was startled to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway.

She stared in shock for a minute then burst out, "You? You're kidding me right? This is a joke." She looked back at her boss, "You don't honestly expect me to work with him?" She realised how incredibly childish she must sound, and in an effort to regain her composure she took two deep breaths and continued, refusing to look where she knew Malfoy was standing with a smirk on his face.

"Very well," she conceded.

Her boss smiled kindly at her. "As I have already explained to Mr. Malfoy, you both will be expected to be moved in by Wednesday. The flat is located at Three South Drive. You should both set to work immediately. Mr. Malfoy will inform you of your duties after you have settled in."

"Wednesday? But that's only two days from now!" she complained, desperation getting the better of her.

Her boss was apparently tired of her complaints, as he said, "Yes Miss Weasley, two days. Therefore I suggest you go home and begin to pack. I will communicate with you in two weeks time."

Ginny, a little put out by his abrupt dismissal, stalked out of his office, knocking rudely into Malfoy as she stomped down the hall. She looked back when she reached the lift and had just enough time to spot Malfoy's sly smile before he slipped into Kingsley's office.

Furious, she continued to the foyer before Apparating home to the Burrow.

Her mother and father were waiting for her as she appeared with a 'CRACK' in the living room.

"Happy nineteenth birthday, dear!" her mum shouted as she embraced Ginny in a bone cracking hug.

Sputtering, Ginny managed to get in between breaths, "Mum, you're squeezing too hard." Apologizing, Mrs. Weasley let go of her daughter and instead continued to kiss her cheek. She had forgotten that today was her birthday. Untangling herself from her mum, Ginny stepped back and was about to tell her parents about what happened that day at work, when her mum whipped something out of her pocket. She passed it to Ginny, who took it and began to remove the wrapping. Inside a small box she found a beautiful black ring. In the center was a detailed black dragon with blood red ruby eyes. She saw that its tail formed the band. She looked it over. She knew it must have been expensive and was about to ask her mum why she spent so much, when she interrupted her.

"It was my mother's ring. And her mother's before that. It dates all the way back to the fifteenth century. It's supposed to protect whoever wears it. Although some old wizarding families believed they could use these rings to do Dark Magic. Which is nonsense of course." Her mum looked away disapprovingly as she said 'old wizarding families'. Ginny knew exactly which family she was talking about and resolved not to mention Malfoy to her mum. "There were only seven ever made. My great-great-great-great-great grandmother got it from her lover." Her mum looked wistfully at her husband and Ginny coughed. Looking back at her, her mum smiled. "Keep it with you always dear," she finished.

"Thanks mum, dad, it's beautiful." She gave parents a tight squeeze, pocketed the ring for now and followed them into the kitchen.

"Oh and by the way, today my boss told me I would be starting my first assignment. Part of it involves moving in with a…coworker. He said I need to be moved in by Wednesday," she said carefully, waiting to see how her mum would react. And sure enough, Mrs. Weasley burst into hysterics again. Rolling her eyes as she fought off another attack of hugs Ginny said she was going upstairs to begin packing.

She sighed as she conjured a box and began randomly throwing clothes into it. Moving to her desk she rummaged through her drawers to excavate anything important and stopped when she found an old photograph of her and Harry. She sat down on the bed and stared at it. In the picture Harry was behind her with his arms around her waist . She watched as he swung her around to face him and kiss him passionately, then giggling and turning around again before the magic picture replayed itself. Wiping away a loose tear, she thought, _Harry, I wish you were here. I can't do this. I can't move in with Malfoy. Please help me, anything_. But the only sign she got that he had heard her was silence. Placing the photo gingerly on top of the pile of boxes she went downstairs to eat before finishing up.

Wednesday came too quickly and when her alarm clock rang at nine in the morning she picked it up and threw it at the wall. Groaning she pulled her pillow over her head and tried to get back to sleep. After all her boss had just told her Wednesday, he hadn't said a specific time on Wednesday, so she felt perfectly at liberty to fall right back into the perfect dream she'd been having.

Eventually hauling herself out of bed and showering, her dad helped her to send all of her boxes to Three South Street. Giving her mother and father a quick hug she walked over to the fireplace and flooed into her new flat. Coughing, she stepped out of the fireplace to look around. At first glace it didn't look like much, but then she took note of the expensive furnishings she saw. Walking the rest of the way into the living room she saw a black leather sofa and armchair, two antique side tables, a large oak coffee table and a black fur rug. She ran her hand over the leather sofa. Everything was obviously very expensive.

"Bet you've never been anywhere near anything this extravagant your whole life, have you, Weasley?" she heard a voice behind her drawl. She turned around to see Malfoy with his hands folded over his chest and smirking at her. "This," he said pointing to the black fur rug, "is probably worth more than that pathetic thing you call a home."

"At least a have a home and a family who loves me, and morals too, for that matter," she responded quickly, her anger catching up with her. She thought she saw a shadow cross his eyes but it disappeared a moment later, his face becoming impassive once more.

"Is that what you think Weasel? That I have no morals?" he was closer to her now. She could see his chest rise and fall as each breath he took seemed to take more effort to make. "You think that I'm a heartless killer? A horrible Death Eater who doesn't have a soul?" he was only a scant six inches from her now. She could feel his hot breath on her face and it made her stomach do somersaults. He bent his head and lowered his face as if he was going to kiss her. "You'll see," he whispered in her ear and stalked away, leaving Ginny standing in the middle of the living room, breathless and more than a little scared.

Regaining her composure, Ginny resumed her tour of the house. She couldn't find Malfoy anywhere, which was fine with her. Upon inspection she saw that their flat consisted of a small but cozy kitchen, a bathroom, a small office/library, the living room and two bedrooms. She saw that the bedrooms where the same size, but noticed Malfoy had claimed the one with a walk in closet and better carpet and paint.

She sighed and flopped onto her bed. This was going to be difficult. How could she possibly live with _Malfoy_ of all people? He hated her and she hated him, end of story. She didn't think she could forgive him for making Harry's, and her, life miserable and she didn't see how this was going to work.

Putting on some old Muggle classical music that she picked up from her mum, she sang along with _Ain't_ _No Mountain High Enough_ while she unpacked her things. Getting into the music she started to dance around her bed and sing. She temporarily forgot about Malfoy and was beginning to loosen up, while she shook her hips and held an old water bottle as a microphone. Doing an elaborate spin after the end of the song she tripped and fell right into Malfoy's arms, who apparently had been standing in the doorway the whole time, watching.

He smirked at her while she struggled to right herself. She glared at him. "Where the hell did you come from? I thought you left," she said accusingly.

"It doesn't matter where I was. But if we're both living here, pretending to be dating, then that has got to stop." He was still sneering at her.

Her jaw dropped. "_Dating?!_ No one ever said anything about dating!" she screamed at him in shock. Living with Malfoy was one thing, but _dating?_

"Relax Weasel, we're not really going to be dating. I think I'd rather date a Hungarian Horntail than you."

She tensed when she heard that, her mind subconsciously remembering her third year when Harry was in the Triwizard Tournament. He watched her as he gauged her reaction, a smirk creeping over his aristocratic features. She looked away for a moment to gain control over her emotions which began to viciously churn at the mention of Harry, then turned and stared at Malfoy with a blazing look in her eyes. Draco was glad for a moment that looks really couldn't kill.

He changed the topic quickly when he saw the first signs of the Weasley temper surfacing. "It's part of our cover. My job is to gain the Death Eaters' trust, work my way back into their graces. This is where you come in. I'm going to pretend that my _girlfriend_ works at the Ministry and I can get inside information from her when really I can relay information to the Ministry about the Death Eaters' plans."

She continued to stare at him. "How do I know you're not really going to turn your back on the Ministry and become one of them again?" she asked nastily.

"Back to my morals are we?" he asked almost bored looking. "Look Weasley, that's the plan, if you don't like it, leave." He stepped aside and gestured out the door.

She almost considered doing just that when she stopped herself. She was a Gryffindor after all, and Gryffindors never backed down from a challenge. "And what exactly am I going to be doing besides being your 'girlfriend'?"

The corner of his mouth twitched into what she supposed was a mocking smile. "You will research the Death Eaters, get information on their backgrounds and current whereabouts, and _sometimes_ accompanying me on trips to look up on the Death Eaters." He said the last part of the sentence forcibly, making Ginny realise that Kingsley was probably forcing him to take her along. "In other words, nothing of importance."

"Oh no. I'm helping more than that. I'm your partner remember? We work on this together." She challenged him.

He laughed at her, a cold heartless laugh. "Partner? Good one, Red. No, this is _my_ mission and I'm not going to let some whinny teenager mess this up."

Now her anger got the best of her. Calling her names was one thing, but actually making her feel like she was useless and stupid was another. She took two quick steps towards him and raised her hand. He caught her wrist as it was about to make contact with his porcelain cheek. His eyes bore into hers as he said quietly, "I wouldn't even think about it."

Dropping her hand he stalked out of her room, leaving her staring at the spot where he had just stood and wondering exactly what she was going to do.

**A/N: **'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' is by Marvin Gaye, all credit goes to him. Remember to review! They really make my day and make me smile!


	4. Chapter 4: Surprises

**A/N: **Hey guys, sorry for the wait but I've been wrapped up these past weeks, not to mention, getting sick and running into a few walls (figuratively speaking). A lot picks up in this chapter so I hope you'll forgive me! As always reviews are priceless!

And thanks again to my awesome betas, Kate and Bela!

Chapter Four: Surprises

"Do you have it?"

"Yes, it's right here," he replied casually. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small black box. He handed it over to the hooded figure and watched as the Death Eater opened it and smiled victoriously. He took the ring from its case and held it up. A black dragon with pure white diamond eyes.

The Death Eater laughed maliciously then turned, "Well done my boy, you will be a great help to us I'm sure."

He bowed and stalked away, his face revealing no emotion.

----------------

The rest of Ginny's day passed without further incident, mainly because Malfoy was gone most of the time. She didn't know where he went but had enough sense not to ask him about it… yet. She finished unpacking the few items she had with her and plumped on her bed, exhausted. It had been a very trying first day. Glancing over at the clock, Ginny sighed, pulled on some old pajamas with sheep on them and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Ginny awoke the next morning after the first night in her new flat feeling tired and grumpy. She had had another nightmare and hadn't slept well. She had been plagued with nightmares since Harry died but she never fully remembered her dreams in the mornings, only ever glimpsing parts of them as they slipped away. The only thing she could focus on today was distant screams and the picture of Harry's eyes. Grumbling she flung the covers off, grabbed a bath robe and slippers and headed off to the shower.

Fifteen minutes and a hot steamy shower later, Ginny felt slightly better. Wrapping herself in a fluffy white bath robe, she stepped out into the hallway only to collide with something very solid blocking the way. Strong arms gripped her shoulders to prevent her from falling as she tried to remain upright. She stared up into amused grey eyes.

"Watch it Weasley, I don't want to get dirt on my new robes." He said mockingly as he pretended to brush non-existent dirt off his robes.

She glared at him while noting that he was already dressed and looked like he had been up for quite some time. He must have woken up very early; it was only seven o'clock now.

"I just took a shower, thank you very much." She shot back, not in the mood to put up with his teasing this morning.

He raised an eyebrow and looked her up and down, from her wet, tussled hair to the water droplets still glistening on her exposed shoulder to the pink fuzzy slippers she was wearing.

She blushed and pulled the robe tighter around herself, fully aware that she was clad only in a knee length bath robe with Malfoy standing a mere foot away. He smirked when she did this and she only glared more fiercely at him.

"I didn't know Weasley's knew how to use showers," he replied sarcastically, finally looking up at her face, "but some things you can't wash off." Fuming she tried to think of something witty to reply but was irritated when she couldn't come up with anything. She was still too focused on her dream from last night to think straight. He smirked, knowing he had got the best of her. She pushed rudely past him and slammed her door. Taking out her anger on her undeserving room, she tore apart her closet looking for something to wear. She finally decided on jeans and a light blue sweatshirt underneath her robes and tried to calm herself before going into the kitchen for breakfast.

Malfoy was sitting at the table with a copy of the Daily Prophet and a cup of coffee that was stirring itself. He glanced up when she walked in and motioned for her to take the chair opposite him.

He put down the paper and looked up at her.

"Today we start our research. I've already found a few useful facts about our list of Death Eaters." He pushed a piece of parchment towards her that she could see was a list of names. She scanned it noting the dozen or so Death Eaters they would have to research and find out about. At the very bottom of the page was a bolded name, **Alvarez**. She looked up and was about to ask Malfoy why this name was bolded when he answered, "He's the leader, the one that's set to replace Voldemort."

Glancing up, he continued, "There are a few more things you should be aware of. We, well I, have discovered what this group is after; The Seven Ancient Rings. Each ring represents a certain aspect of magic. When all seven are combined it creates the most powerful source of energy and magic in the world. They combine Dark and Light, making them neither good nor bad but giving the holder great power." He shoved an old battered picture towards her and she nearly spilled her coffee when she saw it. It was the ring her mother had given her. Only the dragon's eyes were emeralds, not rubies. He raised an eye slightly at her reaction but she gained control of herself quickly. Continuing he added, "We believe that the Death Eaters are currently in possession of four of these rings. Our job is to track down and find the other three before they do."

Her head was swirling. She couldn't think straight. Should she tell Malfoy about the ring her mother had given her? Maybe her mum knew more about the other rings and could help them. She was about to open her mouth when she stopped. For some reason she knew that she shouldn't tell anyone about it, at least not now. Wanting to say something to cover her confusion she asked, "If these rings give you the most powerful magic in the world, why didn't Voldemort go after them?"

"Because the rings are both bad and _good_. One of the rings represents love. In order to use them you must have the characteristic the ring embodies. Voldemort wouldn't have been able to use this ring because he couldn't love, therefore rendering the rest useless because you need all seven of them for it to work. However, these Death Eaters know this, and while they are not loving or compassionate in any way, their hearts are not completely black like Voldemort's was," he went on as if it were completely obvious.

Just then there was a knock at the front door. Wondering idly who it could be, Ginny made her way to the front door. She carefully opened it a crack and was shocked to see Hermione standing in the doorway. She froze knowing Malfoy was sitting in the kitchen just down the hall and prayed he wouldn't come and see who it was. She didn't even want to imagine how Hermione would react if she saw that she was living with Draco Malfoy. Hermione smiled and walked past Ginny into the hallway. Her senses caught up with her and Ginny bounded in front of the girl to stop her.

"Hermione! What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to sound polite.

"Your mum gave me your address when I told her I wanted to stop by and see you. She got worried when you didn't call last night and wanted me to check to make sure that everything was alright. Plus I thought I could meet your roommate," she added.

Ginny frantically thought of someway from keeping her from going down the hall. "Umm…Yes, well…You have to wait here a minute Hermione, I…er… your birthday present is in the kitchen and I don't want you to see it!"

She bounded down the hall and pushed open the kitchen door without waiting for Hermione's response. Malfoy was still sitting at the table looking incredibly amused.

"Malfoy, you have to go somewhere, anywhere. If she sees you I would never hear the end of it. Everyone would make such a big deal. Can you leave for a little while?" she asked quickly in a hushed whisper.

Malfoy made no effort to move and looked, if possible, even more amused at the tight spot Ginny was in. Ginny was desperate. "Please, I'll do anything if you just leave!"

She could her Hermione's footsteps coming down the hall probably wondering what was taking Ginny so long. She turned around as Hermione walked in.

"Look before you say anything, I can explain."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked at Ginny. "Explain what?"

Glancing behind her Ginny let out a huge breath she didn't know she was holding. Malfoy must have Disapparated right before Hermione walked in.

Hermione looked at her questioningly. "Nothing," Ginny replied. Hermione didn't look convinced but didn't say anything else, instead going over and sitting in the chair Ginny had previously vacated. She saw Hermione glance at the picture of the ring and quickly snatched both that and the list of names from the table. When Hermione glanced up she said by way of explanation, "Work," and left it at that.

She quickly went about making tea, and was about to pour some into a cup for Hermione when the cup suddenly moved, causing Ginny to spill hot tea all over the counter and her robes. Cursing, Ginny conjured a towel and wiped at the stain. Hermione started giggling, all other thoughts forgot_ten_. Ginny smiled too, glad that her friend wasn't angry with her. She reached for the cup and held it this time, wondering what had caused it to move in the first place. After pouring one for herself too, she reached for the sugar bowl. She put two scoops in Hermione's and turned around to give it to her. When she went back to the counter, her tea cup was empty. Scowling, she poured herself another cup and could have sworn she heard someone snigger. Shrugging it off, she went to sit down but ended up on the floor with her tea once again all over her. Hermione was laughing uncontrollably as she saw that her chair was three feet away from where it had been originally.

Suddenly it clicked. Through her anger she forced out, "Hey Hermione, I don't want to be rude but I really have to clean this all up and I've got some business to take care of in a little bit. Maybe you could come by some other time?"

Hermione nodded, trying very hard not to laugh again. Ginny walked her to the door, thanked her and stalked back into the kitchen where Malfoy was standing doubled up with laughter.

"That was not funny! It was immature and ridiculous! And you completely ruined my robes!"

"Relax, Weasley, I'll buy you a new set, those ones you're wearing look more like cleaning rags than actual robes anyway." Her face flushed at the insult and Draco admitted privately that she was quite pretty when she was angry.

She stared at him, taking in his perfectly combed blond hair, aristocratic features and pale skin. It took a moment for both of them to realise they were staring.

Ginny looked away. "How did you do that anyway? You don't have an invisibility cloak do you?"

"I don't need an invisibility cloak to become invisible," he replied smugly.

She was impressed despite herself. Not many witches or wizards could do that. It just proved that Malfoy was an exceptionally powerful wizard, which was something she didn't want to admit.

Changing the subject, Draco went on. "Anyway, we have to go. We're going to Borgin & Burkes. I've had a tip off that Borgin might know the whereabouts of one of the rings."

He stood up and walked into the living room. He Disapparated with a loud crack, leaving Ginny scowling at the place where he had just stood. Quickly jumping up, she too Disapparated and appeared at the entrance to Knockturn Alley. She didn't see Malfoy anywhere. Frowning, she carefully made her way down the dirty street with her hand on her wand, still angry at Malfoy's abrupt departure and lack of instructions. She stifled a cry when an arm reached out and pulled her onto a deserted street. Breathing heavily she looked up into Malfoy's annoyed face.

"Shhh! We don't need you drawing unwanted attention to us," he whispered angrily while still keeping a firm hold on her arm.

"Would you mind explaining to me exactly what it is we're doing?"

He sighed impatiently. "You and Iare going to go into Borgin and Burkes, you are going to look around, pretend you're interested in some things while I talk to Borgin."

"Why do I have to come, then? Why can't you just talk to him yourself?"

"Because I need to pretend I'm interested in buying my _girlfriend_ something special, which is how I will mention the rings and ask if he happens to know where I could find one. Seeing you there will make him less suspicious."

Without waiting for her response he grabbed her arm and dragged her down the alley to the front of the shop. Before they went in he whispered, "Don't touch anything!"

He opened the door for her and she stepped in, surprised that he had actually acted like a gentleman for once. He nodded to her once before setting off to the counter where an ugly, greasy man was standing. Remembering her part, she began to idly wander about the store, looking at some of the things on display. Most of _it was_ _them were _Dark Objects, and she felt uneasy being around it all. She glanced back at Malfoy who now seemed to be in deep conversation with the owner. Borgin looked somewhat suspicious at first, but something Malfoy said seemed to make him look less wary and suddenly more fearful. Abruptly they both glanced up at Ginny and she stared back defiantly. Malfoy's face remained impassive and she turned around and saw that a glass case of skulls was in front of her. She was about to turn away again when she noticed something on one of them. Looking closer Ginny thought it looked something like a lightning bolt on the forehead. Letting out a small scream, Ginny covered her mouth and turned towards the door.

She didn't stop to see Malfoy's expression but thought she heard Malfoy mention something to Borgin about not being used to the Dark Arts as she pushed past him and out onto the street. She broke into a run and didn't stop until she reached the end of Knockturn Alley. She tried to think rationally while holding back tears. It wasn't really what she thought it was. It couldn't be. It was more than likely just a random crack, nothing important. Calming herself she heard footsteps approaching behind her.

She turned around as Malfoy grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly. "You almost blew our cover! What were you thinking? Could you really not handle yourself for a few minutes? Come on Weasley!"

He stopped when he saw how upset she was and she thought she saw something like concern flash across his eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. He let go of her and ran his hand through his hair looking agitated. "Let's go, it's late. I'll tell you everything tomorrow," he said through gritted teeth. She fell into step behind him and didn't say a word as they Apparated back to the flat. She walked straight into her bedroom, pulled on pajamas, slid under the covers and grabbed her pillow. She knew it was going to be another bad night

"_Harry! No, you can't!"_

"_Ginny, listen to me, you have to go back. The Order needs you. Find Lupin, he'll help you. I have to do this alone Ginny. This is my final battle." He paused, "Remember that I will always love you no matter what happens."_

_He kissed her softly on the lips, turned and sprinted away. Ginny stood there for a moment in shock and then without thinking twice she ran after him. She stopped behind a tree when she spotted Harry and Voldemort circling each other in a clearing a few yards away. They were talking but Ginny couldn't hear. She stood rooted to the spot, fear pulling at every inch of her body. _

_Harry and Voldemort had stopped walking and now were facing each other. She watched in horror as each one yelled the Killing Curse at exactly the same time. The two green beams shot out the end of each wand and entwined with each as three spectators watched on in shock. Slowly the two green beams untangled themselves and slowly streaked towards their targets. Ginny watched helplessly as she saw it strike Harry square in the chest as both he and Voldemort fell to the ground._

"_Harry! Harry! No!"_

Ginny awoke as strong hands shook her. She screamed as she opened her eyes and sat up, glancing around quickly before finally looking up at Malfoy who was still holding her shoulders. Before she could stop them, tears welled up in her eyes and overflowed down her cheeks. She started sobbing, not caring that she was showing Malfoy her weakness and that he would probably tease her about this for years to come. Untangling herself from him and pushing him away, she wrapped her arms around her legs and tried to comfort herself. She was so upset she didn't hear Malfoy sigh and move to sit behind her. He gently pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened, not knowing if he was going to try and pull something but relaxed when she looked up into his eyes and saw that he was sincere, even if they still held some contempt for being this close to her. She laid her head gently on his chest and eventually drifted off into sleep once more, crying softly into his robes.


End file.
